Monthly Archives: August 2017

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By DA-2017/300, Aqualand Projects have lodged another DA for 688-692 Pacific Highway (next to Chatswood Public School). They propose to demolish the existing structures and construct a shop top housing development comprising 2 basement levels of car parking, ground floor commercial tenancy and 37 residential dwellings.

The closing date for submissions is 7 September 2017.

We received the following information from a local resident:

Last week Aqualand submitted a new development proposal for 688-692 Pacific Highway (thanks Jenny for the early alert!)

They had withdrawn their earlier application for a 6 storey building. This was likely because Willoughby Council had rejected the application, listing many items requiring attention.

This new proposal is available for viewing at Willoughby Council until early September. On Tuesday this week I took a look and include some images below.

It is worth visiting to look at the plans (make sure you are handed two large white folders and ask to see the physical model – required for developments over $3,000,000). As can be seen in one image below, the development exceeds the height limit only marginally. Affordable housing needs, bulk, setback, traffic and safety considerations and some overshadowing may be concerns.

Aqualand has addressed many of Council’s objections to the original proposal in this current proposal and anyone can make a submission to Council. Residents within a certain perimeter will be formally notified by Council.

The intersection of Lady Game Drive, Millwood Road, Delhi Road and The Fairway is
managed by traffic control signals. The management and operation of traffic control signals in NSW is a responsibility of Roads and Maritime Services.

Millwood Avenue and Delhi Road are both State Roads with the management and operation of State Roads a responsibility of Roads and Maritime Services. Lady Game Drive is a Regional Road and The Fairway is a local Road with the management and operation of these roads a responsibility of Willoughby City Council.

The intersection is constrained due to a number of factors including the road environment and alignment along Millwood Avenue, Delhi Road and The Fairway with steep grades and a narrow bridge 2 lane bridge (one lane in each direction) across Lane Cove River.

The issue relates to delays accessing Millwood Avenue and Delhi Road from Lady Game
Drive at weekday morning peak periods at the traffic control signals which controls the time for all approaches. Access from The Fairway onto Millwood Avenue and Delhi Road is considered important by Council and there are no proposals to change the current
arrangement at this stage. In addition, the control of traffic from The Fairway would be
managed by the time provided by the traffic control signals.

The matter has been referred to Roads and Maritime Services for consideration. REad the full report below:

Reddy Go bicycles have come to Chatswood. Reddy Go bikes have been placed around Chatswood Station. Using a phone app you can unlock a bike, don a helmet and ride away on it for $1.99 per 1/2 hour. When you finished your ride, simply leave the bike where it is.

Reddy Go bikes at Chatswood Station

For many there was advocacy that Council set up a scheme like this. It will be interesting to see if this scheme is successful. Some of the problems the operator may have to overcome are:

theft of helmets that are not secured to bik

costs of picking bikes up from remote locations such as at the bottoms of steep hills

new regulations about the use of Council installed bike racks. Already the Reddy Go bikes seem to be taking over existing bike racks

there was a report that the app is a bit clunky, particularly when it come to locking the bike after use. This could have an impact on how much you are charged.

ne of the functions of the Progress Association is to hold Councilors accountable. With the end of the current term of Councillors near we have obtained the following information about the performance of West Ward Councillors. The data covers the period from July 2015 – June 2017 and is for attendance at Council and Committee Meetings and General Manager Briefings:

Clr. Lynne Saville

Councillor Saville is to be congratulated on her high level of dedication to serving for the people of West Ward.

Clr. Tony Mustaca

Clr. Mandy Stevens

NOTE: Clr. Mandy Stevens was absent for extended periods of time due to ill-health. The Federation of Willoughby Progress Associations has recommended to the State Government that a substitute should be able to be appointed under such circumstances.

Independent Hearing and Assessment Panels (IHAPs) will become mandatory for all councils in Sydney and Wollongong to guard against corruption and lead to better local planning decisions.

Minister for Planning and Housing, Anthony Roberts, and Minister for Local Government, Gabrielle Upton, announced the Government would set clear criteria for which development applications (DAs) are to go to the panels.

Mr Roberts said that mandatory IHAPs would bring expertise, transparency and integrity to the assessment of DAs at the local level.

“It is essential the Government has a transparent and accountable process in place when assessing DAs of significant value, when there is a conflict of interest for the council or developer, or when they are of a sensitive nature,” Mr Roberts said.

“By making IHAPs mandatory, local councils will be able to focus on providing community services, strategic plans and development controls for their local area.”

Mr Roberts pointed out that Wollongong and 15 Sydney metropolitan councils were already successfully using IHAPs on a voluntary basis.

The new Bill will propose a standard model for IHAPs comprising three independent expert members and a community member.

The community member will represent the geographical area within the LGA of the proposed development, to provide local perspective.

IHAP members will have to be expert in one or more of the following fields: planning, architecture, heritage, the environment, urban design, economics, traffic and transport, law, engineering, tourism, or government and public administration.

The chair must also have expertise in law or government and public administration.

The panel members themselves will be subject to statutory rules such as a compulsory code of conduct and operational procedures for the panels.

Further selection criteria will be outlined in the recruitment process.

Councils will be able to share a panel to improve efficiencies and in the regional parts of the state, panels would remain voluntary.

Local councils will still process most applications for individual houses or alterations to existing houses.

What will local planning panels decide?

Value – Development applications with a value of between more than $5 million but less than $30 million.

Conflict of Interest – Development applications for which the applicant or owner is the council, a councillor, a member of a councillor’s family, a member of council staff, or a state or federal member of Parliament.

Contentiousness – Development applications that receive 10 or more objections from different households.